The TU Munich awards the honorary title "TUM Distinguished Affiliated Professorship" to scientists who have set international standards in their field of work. The award ceremony for Rainer Blatt took place in early November at the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) of the Technical University of Munich in a small setting due to the pandemic. Since 2007, TUM has awarded the title of TUM Distinguished Affiliated Professor to internationally leading scientists who work at other universities, have developed a field of science in a leading way, and collaborate with their colleagues at TUM on a long-term basis. The honorary title is awarded by the President on the basis of a decision by the Extended Presidential Board. The TUM Distinguished Affiliated Professors are members of the professorial body of the faculty that submitted their nomination
To strengthen the scientific network of the Max Planck Institutes, the Max Planck Society in Germany nominates outstanding international scientists as external scientific members of an institute. This honor has now also been bestowed on Rainer Blatt. Like his Innsbruck colleague Peter Zoller, he will now serve as an external member of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching. The prerequisite for appointment as an External Scientific Member is the scientific excellence of the candidate as well as a close connection to the respective institute. As with the Scientific Members of the Institutes, the appointment is preceded by a strict selection procedure. After approval by the respective section, the appointment is made by the Senate of the Max Planck Society.
Rainer Blatt has been in Munich more frequently since the beginning of this year, coordinating Munich Quantum Valley. Over the next ten years, this alliance aims to further advance the development of quantum science and quantum technology. In addition to the Munich universities LMU and TUM, the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the Max Planck Society are among the network's founders. The Free State of Bavaria is providing the initiative with a total of around 300 million euros. Munich Quantum Valley will also apply for funding from the federal government, which is supporting the development of quantum technologies with two billion euros as part of the Future Package for Germany.